


Different

by SeeMaree



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-07-24
Packaged: 2018-04-10 16:49:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4399703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeMaree/pseuds/SeeMaree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That’s not Katniss.  It’s a mutt.  Peeta knows it.  Why can’t anyone else see how wrong that creature is?<br/>A Mockingjay what if.<br/>My PiP submission. Rats</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different

“What’s wrong with him?” The emergency staff seems to be doing their best to ignore him, but eventually the woman in charge turns to look at Haymitch.

“They let rats eat him.” It’s so blunt and horrifying; Haymitch doesn’t know how to reply. The doctor’s face softens a little and she adds, “It’s treatable, the wounds are infected, obviously, but I think he’ll be okay.” Haymitch looks the sores covering Peeta’s torso and imagines the creatures climbing over him, biting, his stomach turns over at the thought. 

“But how does that explain, that... what he did!” She pulls him aside. Haymitch looks back at Peeta’s ravaged body. Did the rats make him insane? Surely there’s a reason for the attack on the supposed love of his life?

“He’s drugged. We're not sure what it is, but,” the look she gives him has real sadness, “I doubt he understands what he did.”

Looking at her understanding, sympathetic eyes reminds Haymitch of another moment like this, of the man who told him they had to cut off Peeta’s leg. It’s not right to have a second doctor telling him terrible things, over the same boy’s emaciated body. Peeta doesn’t deserve this. 

“Is it dead?” the voice attracts the attention of everyone in the room. But it’s Haymitch that answers.

“Is what dead?”

“The mutt. Did I kill it?” Haymitch squeezes his eyes shut. Tries to take a breath.

“That wasn’t a mutt Peeta. It was Katniss.” Peeta stares, unblinking, his pupils oddly large in the brightly lit room. 

“No. It was a mutt,” he says, “I know.” It’s too much. Haymitch can’t do this. He backs out of the room before he starts breaking things. But he can’t leave. Not truly. He finds Gale Hawthorne standing in the observation room, his hands clenched on the sill.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t go in there and kill him.” Haymitch leans his forehead on the cool glass of the viewing window, wondering why he, who has spent his life avoiding children, ended up with so many teenagers looking to him for guidance.

“He thinks she’s a mutt.” Gale rolls his eyes in disbelief. “It’s true. Listen.” Haymitch reaches over and turns increases the volume on the intercom. The medical personnel have left, and now it’s just Peeta and a studious looking man with a notebook.

“Why are you so sure that wasn’t Katniss?” he asks. 

“It didn’t taste like her.” The man tilts his head, like a curious bird.

“Taste? Can you explain what you mean?” Peeta sighs, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’ve kissed Katniss so many times; I know what she tastes like. Snow may have been able to make a mutt that looks like her, but she tasted different. And Katniss doesn’t kiss like that either.”

“So, what you’re telling me,” the little man says, cautiously, “is that you decided to kill her, because she doesn’t taste or kiss the way you remember?” Peeta nods seriously.

“This is stupid,” Gale mutters. “Are we really supposed to believe that after one kiss he decided it wasn’t her, and that the logical thing to do is strangle her?”

“Look kid, I know it sounds crazy, but he’s been tortured, and drugged, and he hit something that seemed wrong, so he overreacted. I’m sure you can think of things that have struck you as different or wrong about the girl since the games. But you were able to reason it out. They took that away from him.” An odd look crosses Gale’s face.

“What?” Haymitch demands.

“Nothing. I just, well I was thinking about the first time we hunted together here in 13. Her stance was completely different. Really, I don’t know, proper. It was like she was another person for a second. But, you know, she told me that they gave her some lessons before the quell, fixed her form or something, which is stupid. Sure she mostly taught herself, but someone as good as that doesn’t need fixing.” Haymitch nods. 

“Exactly. Now imagine that moment if you were high on some sort of drug that warped your reality, and cut the boy some slack.”

\--------------------

Haymitch spends the next few days shuffling between Peeta and Katniss, keeping a mostly solo vigil over his kids. Katniss is healing remarkably fast. The doctors expect a full recovery. Peeta is a different story. As the drugs work their way out of his system he becomes increasingly agitated and distressed. No longer certain that Katniss is a mutt; he spends his time crying and raging.

When Haymitch looks in to see Prim sitting with a sleeping Katniss the young girl smiles, and comes out to join him in the hallway.

She immediately reaches out for a hug. She’s an affectionate child, not like her standoffish sister, and as much as Haymitch grumbles, it’s nice. He’s spent too many years as an outcaste to dismiss the true kindness from anyone.

“How’s Peeta?” she asks, and Haymitch remembers walking in Peeta’s kitchen door to see Prim baking cookies with him. This is probably difficult for her too.

“He’s having a hard time, but I think that they’re getting through to him. He’s still not sure she’s really Katniss though.” Prim rubs her forehead absently.

“I know how he feels. She is different.” Haymitch narrows his eyes.

“Different. How?”

“I guess it’s because of the head injury she suffered in the arena? But she can’t remember things sometimes. Like, she forgot how to do a fishtail braid! It’s one of the simplest braids! She could remember how to do the braiding she had for the reaping, which is really complicated, but not the one mom taught her when she was seven.” Prim shakes her head. “That’s how head injuries work I guess. But I know how Peeta must feel. It’s strange when someone you know so well changes suddenly like that.”

When Prim is called away Haymitch goes in to sit with Katniss. She’s being discharged later today, but he needs to watch over her until then. His kids are safer than they’ve been since the day they were reaped. But still. He can’t relax with them like this. 

District 13 is sadly lacking in fictional reading material, so Haymitch has to content himself with reading a treatise on warcraft. It’s almost as boring as coal. But more useful. He’s drawn to the chapter entitled ‘Keep Your Friends Close, Keep Your Enemies Closer.’ It’s a rambling story about long ago times and places. China? Greece? But the idea seems to be that friendships are a mistake, because you let your guard down, and then they betray you. 

He looks at the girl in the bed, and believes it. She would betray him in an instant if it kept her beloved Prim or Peeta alive. He respects that. Also she telegraphs her intentions so obviously, it’s hard take any threat she presents seriously.

“I have to leave.” 

Haymitch glances up from his book. “You’ll be out of here later today.” 

She frowns at him. “Not the hospital, the whole place. I can’t stay in 13 with him.” 

“Sweetheart, he wasn’t right in his head. They had him so drugged up he didn’t know what was going on. He’s getting better, you’ll see, you’ll get him back. Perhaps we can go and see him when you get out.” She scowls.

“I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to be anywhere near him. I’m going to ask to be sent to 2.”

“Do you really think Coin is going to agree to that?” Katniss shrugs carelessly.

“Coin does what I want.” And then she leans over and puts her arms around Haymitch. “Will you come with me? It’s always better if you’re with me.” Is this the same Katniss Everdeen that throws water over him to wake him up?

He looks down at the top of her head, snuggled against his chest, and he can’t help thinking, and wondering. Because she is different.

**Author's Note:**

> So, is Katniss sufficiently unsettling?   
> What if Peeta isn't wrong?   
> What if Katniss did come back different?
> 
> Many thanks to mockingjayflyingfee and myusernamehere for helping me brainstorm, and to smartalexy, you’re an awesome beta.


End file.
